Los Angeles - The end of our Grand Voyage - December 21

Our eighty-two day trip around the Pacific rim is ended.  The most stressful part of the end is getting home.

The morning of our departure began with my bacon and eggs breakfast, followed by lots of sitting around waiting for our group to be called.  Once our group was called it was a short walk to pick up our luggage and board the shuttle to LAX.  They deposited us next to our airline curbside check-in, where they relieved us of our luggage.

For a person uncomfortable in crowds, flying the week of Christmas through LA and Houston is special.  Sharing space with thousands of people all focused on their travel plans, followed by shuffling onto overbooked flights and sitting in cramped seats.  My mind starts thinking about all the possible points of failure.  It's not so much that I'm a worrier, but the bulk of the process I feel mostly powerless.

I pray when I fly.  Since most flights, either end well or they don't, I consider it something of a high stakes venture (either you live or you die).  So as I buckle my seatbelt, I remind God that my life is in his hands and how much I want things to go well.  I pray for the training, proficiency, and sobriety of our flight crew.  I also express my concerns about the health of the hundreds of people with whom I'll be sharing air for several hours.  It comforts me to remember that God is in control.  This probably sounds odd coming from a lover of flying.

So we arrived safely in Fort Myers around 2300 where Vergil is waiting to take us home.  I marvel at the speed with which we get from LA to RSW in one day.  I find about a metric ton of mail has been collected for me by my neighbor.

I think it's called "jet lag"; the disorientation to time.  My body is confused about waking and sleeping.  Sunday at church, as the Pastor led us in prayer, I found myself being shaken from my slumber to come and help in the nursery (how embarrassing)!

Afterthought: It occurs to me that my last post was from Pago Pago.  Just to chronicle the last two weeks of the cruise, it was mostly spent at sea.  The seas were rougher than any we had experienced earlier in the cruise.  On our way to Hawaii, was the worst.  Many stayed in their cabins and/or took the patch/pill for motion sickness. 

We stopped in Honolulu first.  As usual, it was mostly spent shopping.  It was reported that Pearl Harbor was not doing tourism that day.

Anh and I had been there about twelve years ago for a family wedding, but nothing seemed familiar to me.  We got around by purchasing a day pass for the bus system. 

All that really mattered was that we found a place that served Vietnamese food. 

Thu treated me to a local beer.

Bone head left, Diamond head right

Pago Pago - American Samoa

So it's December 8 and last night we crossed the international date line.  That gave us two Saturdays.

Over the last week, we have had several stops, but not much access to the internet.  After Noumea we went to Easo, Mystery Island (Vanuatu),  Port Denerau and Suva (Fiji).

Our port yesterday in Apia Samoa was canceled for safety reasons, (High winds and an unprotected harbor).

Apia

We are in Pago Pago (American Samoa).  The weather is warm humid and windy.  I'm hoping I can finish this before it rains again, but service here is painfully slow.   Internet access is available at the pier for $3.00.  It's the kind of service you have to wait for, and wait for... The wind is threatening to pick up the canvas covers here on the pier and carry them away.

Local bus

Tutuila Island

Today we walked until we found a local bus.  We hopped on and rode as far as $5/each would take us.  Turns out not too far.  We drove out to the entrance to the harbor and then he turned around and came back.  The owner's son was with us and telling us about his plans to join the Army after high school.

Then we went to the National Parks building and watched several videos about things like how they make Tapa (a fabric made from tree bark)

We also saw a whale's jaw bone, unlike any I've seen before.  After watching several of their videos, we walked back to the ship.

We leave here this evening around 1730 and head for Hawaii.  It will be five days at sea.  Aside from no internet access, I love time at sea.  There is a rhythm to life at sea.  Not that there is anything difficult about cruising, but sea time is "in the zone".

I looked at the calendar the other day and we have less to two weeks left.  I'm holding back the tears.